Lock washer



May 19, 1936. Q OLSON 2,041,568

LOCK WASHER Filed Jan. 31, 1929 I 0/ /G. 5, 54w J 1001/ Muir-5125M!Patented May 19, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT I OIFFICE LOCK WASHERApplication January 31, 1929, Serial No. 336,437

Claims.

' tially all of the available stock for locking said teeth in the work.

Another and more specific object of my present invention is to secureincreased locking effectiveness of the washer by configurating the stockthereof in zigzag fashion, thereby positioning the cut out sections ornotches on one of the margins between the notches on the other I margin.

Still more specifically my invention contemplates, in addition to thearrangement of the marginal notches in the manner set forth above, theprovision of independently operable work engaging teeth at theextremities of each portion of stock extending between said notches,said teeth being formed by twisting or bending said extremities out ofthe plane of the washer, whereby the washer when clamped in response tothe tightening of a nut will positively interlock with the work, so asto efiectively secure the nut against unscrewing.

The above mentioned and other objects will be more apparent from thefollowing detailed description when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawing, wherein:- a

Figure 1 is a plan view of a lock washer, which is a representativeembodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of said washer.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the washer takensubstantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a section of the washershown in Figures 1 to '3 inclusive, said view being shown to moreclearly illustrate the structural characteristics of the washer.

In Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, I have shown a modified or alternative formof washer, which I have indicated generally by the numeral lfla. Thiswasher is provided with outer cut outs or notches l2a and inner notchesMa. The sections extending between the notches l2a are indicated by thenumeral la, and the sections extending between the notches Ma aredesignated by the numeral 20a. The bottom portions of these notches inand Ma are relieved at 30 to enable the washer stock adjacent orbordering said notches, to be-bent or warped out of the plane of thewashenso as to present work enaging teeth 22a and 24a. It will be notedthat these teeth 22a and 24a have work engaging edges rather than sharpcorners, and these work engaging edges are positioned in a plane, which5 is spaced from and in substantial parallelism with the plane of thewasher. Thus a tooth edge rather than a tooth corner is adapted tolockingly engage the work when the washer Illa is clamped therebetween.The sections la and 20a, provide the necessary resiliency andrigidity torender the teeth 22a and "a particularly adaptable to be used for theirintended purpose, namely, for securing parts, such as threaded nuts andthe like against rotation.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that my invention contemplatesthe provision of a lock washer of improved practical construction inwhich substantially all of the stock along the inner and outer marginsthereof is used for looking purposes. To accomplish this I have configurated the washer body, so as to present a zigzag structure havingelongated, circumferential, interconnecting sections. By properlyproportioning the width and the depth of the notches in accordance withthe work for which the washer is to be used, work engaging teeth havingsharp corners or edges may be provided along the inner and outer marginsof the washer body. It will also be noted that when the work engagingand locking edges are provided, as in the teeth 22a and 24a, these edgesextend radially,"a distance which is substantially equal to one-half thewidth of the washer body. In other words, a plurality of work engagingedges is provided in staggered relation along both sides of the washer,each edge extending at least one half of the distance across the widthof said surfaces. By employing substantially all of the available stockin the washer body for locking 40 purposes, as described, I am able tosupply a lockwasher having independently operable work engaging teeth atthe extremities of the elongated sections extending in uninterruptedcircumferential succession along the washer body. The use of workengaging or looking teeth of the type described, along both the innerand outer margins is particularly advantageous in instances where thesurfaces to be secured are uneven and it is desirable to insure contactof a 50 washer with such uneven surfaces. Lock washers of the typedescribed may be stamped from sheet metal or may be formed from asubstantially rectangular narrow strip, the ends of which may he joinedtogether, and the extrem ities of the notch connecting sections twistedof spring metal having a series of radial notchesformed alternatelyalong its inner and outer peripheries, each of which has acircumferential width at its base as great as the radial width of thesegment of the disc at the base of-the notch.

and substantially rigid teeth along the radial margins of the notchesprojecting alternately in opposite directions from the surfaces of thedisc.

and having edges extending radially of the washer and lying in planesparallel to the faces of the washer, the body being so notched that theapplication of pressure to said teeth flexes the material of the bodyinto an undulated form.

2. A look washer consisting of an annular disc of spring metal having aseries of radial notches, each of which has a circumferential width atits base as great as the radial width of the segment of the disc at thebase of the notch, and substantially rigid teeth along the radialmargins of the notches projecting alternately in opposite directionsfrom the surfaces of the disc and having edges extending radially of thewasher and lying in planes parallel to the faces of the washer, the bodybeing so notched that the application of pressure to said teeth flexesthe material of the body into an undulated form.,

3. A look washer consisting of an annular disc of spring metal having aseries of radial notches, each of which has a circumferential width atits base as great as the radial width of the segment of the disc at thebase of the notch, marginal ortions of the metal along the radialmargins of each notch of a width substantially equal to the thickness ofthe disc being turned in opposite ditending radially of rections atangles of more than 30 degrees to the plane of the disc to providesubstantially rigid teeth having projecting right-angled edges exthedisc and lying in planes parallel to the faces of the disc, the bodybeing so notched that the application of pressure to said teeth flexesthe material of the body into an undulated form. N

4. A look washer consisting of an annular disc of spring metal having aseries of radial notches, each of which has a circumferential width atits baseas great as the radial width of the segment of the disc at thebase of the notch, and substantially rigid teeth along the radialmargins of the notches pro'jectingaltemately in opposite directions fromthe surfaces of the disc and havin edges extending radially of thewasher and lying in planes parallel to the faces of the washer, eachradial notch including at itsbase circumferentially extending slitportions, the body being so notched that the application of pressure tosaid teeth flexes the material of the body into an undulated form. 5. Alock washer consisting of an annular .disc of spring metal having aseries of radial notches with the marginal portions of the metal alongopposite radial margins of each notch turned outwardly in oppositedirections to present projecting edges extending radially of the washerand lying in planes parallel to the faces of the washer, the dimensionsof said outwardly turned marginal portions and the width of said notchesbearing such relation to the dimensions of the segments of the disc atthe bases of the notches that, upon application of pressure to thewasher, said segments will flex before said outwardly turned portionsare bent and thereby resiliently copperate in maintaining saidprojecting edges in looking engagement with the work clampedthereagainst.

CARL G. OLSON.

